Real Madrid dominated the signing of big stars from the transfer market, and in the early 21st century, Real Madrid shocked the world by assembling what is arguably the greatest squad in history, including superstars such as Ronaldo, Zidane, Beckham, Figo and Carlos.
These players mark the Success of the Bernabeu in both the domestic and Europa Leagues. It's worth noting, however, that the large number of top players real Madrid has signed over the past few years have ended up showing that none of them are good investments.
In fact, there have been a few transfers in Real Madrid's history that have been very bad and they want the public to forget all that has happened. These players have achieved extraordinary feats at previous clubs, but after moving to the Bernabeu they became a part of their own life that they did not want to mention.
Let's take a look at five of the most disappointing of them.
5. Ilya Lamendi
As Xavi Alonso's career drew to a close, Real Madrid knew they needed to find a suitable long-term replacement for the iconic midfielder. In the summer of 2013, when Real Madrid signed Illiraya Lamendi from Real Sociedad for 39 million euros, Real Madrid thought they had earned it.
But they later found out that this was not the case and the defensive midfielder had a hard time adapting at the Bernabeu. After Ilya lamentdi moved from a small town to Spain's largest city, he struggled with homesickness and cultural shock.
Ilya Lamendi was also not impressed on the pitch, and his series of poor performances caused him to lose patience with his fans. He spent two uneventful years at Real Madrid, scoring just three goals and one assist. In 2015, he was sold back to Real Sociedad for 15 million euros, becoming one of the most lossy players in Real Madrid's history.
4. Jovic
Real Madrid signed Luka Jovic for €63 million, and the striker excelled in Eintracht Frankfurt in 2018-2019, scoring 27 goals and seven assists in all competitions. However, like the other players on this list, the striker was lost in the Bernabeu match.
Jovic's first season at Real Madrid was poor, with only 2 goals and 2 assists despite playing in 27 games, and he failed to prove his worth and was loaned back to Eintracht Frankfurt last season. He returned to the Bernabeu this summer and was reportedly included in the squad of players sacked by Real Madrid in the following weeks.
3. Owen
Michael Owen won the Ballon d'Or in 2001 for his outstanding performances in England and Liverpool. This led Real Madrid to sign the striker in 2004 on a cash-plus-player basis, which led liverpool to receive a transfer fee of €12 million and Antonio Núñez to Anfield.
For the next period of time, Owen was also lost inside the Galactic Battleship. Irving spent only one season at the Bernabeu, and in the shadow of Ronaldo, Irving simply did not play long, scoring 16 goals and 4 assists in the 45 games in which Real Madrid played.
As he spent his career on the bench, Irving decided to return to the Premier League, where he joined Newcastle United for €25 million.
2. Kaka
Kaka joined Real Madrid in 2009 for €67 million, and just two years ago he won the coveted Ballon d'Or at AC Milan. He and Cristiano Ronaldo came to Real Madrid in the same summer and fans are looking forward to building a strong attacking line at the Bernabeu in the 2009-2010 season.
But as Cristiano Ronaldo became the greatest player in the club's history, Kaka's career has been on the decline. Kaka spent four years at Real Madrid, making 120 appearances and scoring 29 goals. It can be said that Kaka's move to Real Madrid was a mistake and was subsequently allowed a free transfer back to Milan in 2013.
1. Hazard
Hazard joined Real Madrid from Chelsea for €115 million in the summer of 2019, becoming the most expensive player in Real Madrid's history. The Belgian signed Ronaldo to step up his attack after his departure last summer, but it backfired.
However, this is arguably the worst investment for Real Madrid, as Hazard has been unable to perform well due to constant injuries after parachuting into Madrid. The winger has been on the doctor's treatment table for 405 days so far, missing 59 games in just two years.
He has only scored 5 goals for the club since the transfer and Real Madrid are even willing to sell it if there is a good offer.